COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Feb. 5 marks the one year anniversary of the end of watch for El Paso County Deputy, Micah Flick. He was shot and killed by a suspected car thief as deputies tried to arrest him. The sheriff’s office held a wreath laying ceremony at the sheriff’s office and the county jail. Sheriff Bill Elder said, “The pain we all experienced following February 5 was immense. The minutes and hours that followed that moment changed the lives of the Flick family and the sheriff’s officer forever.”

Rachael Flick said the year since her husband died has gone by slow and fast at the same time. She said, “The minute he died a year ago, I was counting the hours since I had seen him. Then I was counting the days and then the weeks since the last time he kissed me goodbye. It’s amazing it’s been a year because back in February, I didn’t think I’d survive to see the summer. The pain was so agonizing, so overwhelming. I didn’t think I’d be able to survive to the place we are. Because of community support, because of our family, because of our faith, we have learned what it is to be resilient, to grow through pain and heartache and so we are a standing example of pain doesn’t have to kill you.” She said her family continues to heal, “It’s a process. It is something that will never be done or over or forgotten for us, but absolutely something we can use to step forward and increase in strength. We are resilient. You can choose post-traumatic stress or post-traumatic growth. We choose growth. We have chosen to put one foot in front of the other and move forward and create new memories.” Rachael said she sees constant reminders of her husband. She said, “Our son is a mini me of Micah, same freckles, same bright smile. He has his dad’s quarterback arm.” She said he brought so much joy to their lives. She said, “We are going to the cemetery and lay a wreath at his grave today. One of his absolute favorite things was chocolate cake. I got a small cake and a small chocolate milk and I`m going to leave it for him. We played poker with Micah’s team last night and we laughed so hard. Micah would have been in Heaven, taking all their money.” Micah’s sacrifice hasn’t been forgotten. Rachael said, “He stepped in, took the gun, wrestled with it. He took that shot into his own chest and did save the lives of the other officers. I couldn’t be more proud of him as a hero.” Micah’s family and colleagues say as tough as this past year has been, they have found hope from all the support from the community. Sheriff Elder said, “The outpouring of your love and support has meant more than you will ever know.” Micah’s mother, Chenoa Flick said, “Every prayer that is said, every thought given to us, we just want you to know we feel it in our hearts.” And on this day set aside to remember his sacrifice, one of his brothers in blue has a special reason to pay tribute to him. El Paso County Deputy Scott Stone said, “That day, he sacrificed himself because he loved me. He saved my life, kept Mr. Zetina from shooting me in the head, ending my life. Words cannot express how thankful I am that Micah was willing to do that for me.” Deputy Stone still has a bullet lodged in his body. He said he would not be alive today had it not been for Micah’s bravery. Rachael agreed, “He stepped in, took the gun, wrestled with it. He took that shot into his own chest and did save the lives of the other officers. I couldn`t be more proud of him as a hero.” They are passionate about asking the community to support law enforcement. Deputy Stone said, “I like to think his sacrifice inspired people to love each other and respect each other and our community has shown it to us.” Rachael said, “This is not a racial issue, it is not a gun issue. It’s a heart issue when we have decided to target our protectors in this cultural war we are engaged in as a way of venting frustration against authority, that is unacceptable. It is unacceptable when we are frustrated to turn around and take out that frustration on our law enforcement officers who lay down their lives to protect us.”